Electric time switch



Feb. 19, 1924.

L... Pf KLEUSER ELECTRIC TIME swx'rcn Filed Nov. 28. 1921 Patented Feb. 19, 1924.

UNITED STATES LAWRENCE P. KLEUSER, OF GREENVILLE, TEXAS.

ELECTRIC TIME SWITCH.

Application filed November 28, 1921.

To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, LAWRENCE P. KLEUSER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Greenville, in the county of Hunt .and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Time Switches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electric switches operated by clockwork; and it consists in the novel construction and combination. of the parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, whereby the switch is closed automatically at a predetermined hour, and is opened automatically after a predetermined interval of time. This device is specially adapted to open and close the circuits of electric lights used in stores and other similar places. 1

In the drawin s, Figure 1 is a front View of an electric time switch constructed according to this invention. Fig. 2 is a side view of the principal parts of the switch operating devices shown in Fig. 1. Fig.3 is a front view, but is taken in section on'the line 3 3 in Fig. 2. ,Fig. 4 is a detail plan view of the switch opening and closing levers. Fig. 5 is a front view of the setting arms.

The clock is a time piece of any a proved construction having a frame 6, and is one of its revolvin shafts to which the switch operating mec anism is connected. This shaft is revolved continuously in the direction of the curved arrows in Figs. 1 and 3, and this motion is anti-clockwise because the switch mechanism is shown as being arranged at what ordinarily is the rear side of the clock. The shaft 7 is connected with the clockwork so that it is revolved once in every 24 hours. A dial 8 suitably marked for the hours of the day and night is mounted loosely on the shaft 7, and 9 is a friction clutch device provided with a finger-nut 10 for clamping the dial to the shaft after its position has been adjusted. The clutch 9 is of any approved construction, and a pointer 12 is secured to theclock frame '6 to indicate the time of day and night, on the dial. The dial is not shown set with relation to the pointer 12. o

An electric switch of any approved construction is secured adjacent to the clock. The movable contact piece 14 of the switch shown is on a pivoted arm 15 which is insu- Serial N0. 518,163.

lated from the stationary contact piece 16. This switch is included in the wires 17 of a lighting circuit.

A switch closing lever 18 is pivoted on a pin 19 which projects forwardly from the clock frame 6, and 20 is a connecting-rod arranged between this lever and the switch arm 15. The lever 18 has a circular portion 21 which is concentric'with its pivot, and

which has a notch 22 formed in it, and which has also a rearwardly projecting lug 24 formed on it.

' A detent 25 is pivoted on a pin 26 which projects forwardlyfrom the clock frame, and this detent normally engages with the notch 22. This detent has an operating arm 27, and 28 is a spring which holds the detent in engagement with the notch. A coupling link 29 is arranged between the free end portions of the two pins 19 and 26, and assists in maintaining them parallel to each other.

A switch opening lever 30 is pivoted on the pin 19 to the rear of the lever 18, and this lever 30 carries a curved toothed segment 31. A switch operating spring is also carried by the pin 19, and comprises a rear coil 32, a front coil 33, and a loop 34: between the two coils. The rear coil 32 is stronger than the front coil, and is arranged between the opening lever 30 and the clock frame 6, and its free end 35 is connected to the clock frame. The loop 34 extends over and engages with the circular portion 21 and the lower part of the opening arm 30 adjacent to it. The front coil 33 is arranged between the circular portion 21 and the coupling link 29, and its free end 36 is connected to the circular portion 21. The loop 34: of the spring normally holds the opening lever 30 against the lug 24 of the switch closing lever 18, and presses the free end of the toothed segment 31 against a stop 37 which projects forwardly from the clock frame 6.

Two setting arms 40 and 41 are mounted loosely on the shaft 7 behind the dial, and their free end portions project beyond the periphery of the dial, and form pointers which indicate the times of opening and closing the switch. Fig. 1 shows the pointers set and arranged so that the switch is closed at 7 p. m., and re-opened at 10 p. m., so that the store lights mayglow for three hours, and be turned on and off automati- Cally. Each arm has a clamping screw 42 for securlng it to the dial after 1t has been a tappet l which operates the arm 27, moves the detentout of the notch 22 at the predetermined time for closing the switch. Th loop 3eengagres with the openever, and the "front coil 38 of the spring l v presses the notch against the de- 'l the detent is retracted.

of arm %1 has a series of rearwardlv pnojekingteeth or lugs so which year loosely into the teeth of the curved toothed segment, and turn the switch opening lever on is pivot when the dial is revolved by the c och. This motion of the lever 30 winds the coils of the spring tighter. and the loop slides along the edge of the circular portion 21 so that the switch closing lever remains stationary while the switch opening lever is being moved by the teeth The teeth do not form a com plete circle. but a sufiicient number of teeth is provided to enable the device to have a suiiicient range of action.

The clock is provided with the usual clocl work. The winding key 50 is on the same sha'tt as the main spring 51, which revolves the train of wheels 52, controlled by the es capement 53. portions only of which parts are shown.

\Vhen the parts are in the positions shown, the tappet 4A is about to retract the detent. The loop 34 of the switch operating spring is however holding the levers 18 and 30, in the position shown in Fig. 3, against the stop 87. As the dial 8 and the arms and ll are revolved by the clock. the tappet A first operates the detent 27 idly, and without allecting the lever 18. and then permits the detent to re-engage with the notch 22. As the dial 8 and arms 40 and 4-1 continue to revolve. the teeth on arm 4-1 en gage the toothed segment or rack 31 on the lever 30. and move the lever 30. and permit the lever 18 to be held stationary by the detent 25 alone. The shank 30 of the lever 30 is moved away from the lug 24 so that the switch'closing lever 18 can be operated by its spring 33 at the predetermined time. when the t-appet 44: has made a complete revolution from the position shown in 3., and when the last tooth 45 of the series of teeth 4-5 has not yet released the last tooth ol the toothed segment 31. When the switch closing lever 18 is now released from the detent by the clock. the front coil of the spring moves the lever 18 pivotallv downward to close the switch. The continued motion of the clockwork and the dial still moves the opening lever 30 pivotally. and when the last tooth of the series of teeth or lugs 45 is moved out of engagement with the last tooth of the curved segment, the rear coil 32 of the spring moves the opening lever back to its original position against the stop 37. This motion of the opening lever also restores the closii g: lever to its original position in engagement with the detc-.t beca e the shank 30 of the switch opening lever bears against the lug Ql on. the s closine lever and moves the closing lever pivotallv. and becau e the rear coil is str r than the front coil. ll hcn the toothed s moot commences to be operated by one of the teeth 45 t winds up the front coil by contact with the loop. so that the strength of the front coil is increased a little to permit it to Opfililtc the lever 18 when released from the detent. and thereby close the switch.

What I claim is:

1. An electric time switch, a operating shaft a dial plate revolved by the said shaft. :1 pivoted spring-actuated lever for closingthe switch. a detent engaging with the said lever and normally holding the switch open. a tappct which revolves with the dial plate and retracts the detent at a predetermined time, an opening lever which normally holds the closing lever stationary so that the detcnt can be retracted and replaced Without the switch being closed. and means for moving the opening! lever auto matically out of engagement with the closing lever while the said detent is in its normal position.

2. In an electric time switch, a clockdriven operating shaft. a dial plate revolved by the said shaft, a pivoted spring-actuated leve for closing the switch. a pivoted de tent engaging with the said lever and provided with an operating arm an opening lever which normally holds the closing lever stationary so that the detent can be retracted and replaced without the switch being closed, means for moving the opening lever automatically out of engagement with the closing lever while the said detent is in its normal position. and an adjustable setting arm which revolves with the dial plate. said setting arm being provided with a tappet which engages with the arm on the detent at a predetermiu ed time and thereby releases the said lever which closes the switch.

3. In an electric time switch, a clock driven operating: shaft, a dial plate revolved by the said shaft. a pivoted. sprin mactuated lever for opening the switch provided with a. curved toothed segment. means for operatively connecting the said lever with the switch, and a series of teeth which revolve with the dial plate and gear into and operate the said segment and which release .it at 'a predetermined. time and thereby permit the said leve to open the switch.

4. In an electric time switch, a clockdrivcn operating shaft. a dial plate re olved by the said shaft, 3. pivoted spring-actuated cl.ock-drivcn gear lnto and operate the said se lever for opening the switch provided with a, curved toothed segment, means for operatively connecting the said lever with the switch, and an adjustable settin arm which revolves with the dial plate, sai setting arm being provided with a series of teeth which ent and which release it at a predetermine time and thereby permit the said lever to open the switch.

5. In an electric time switch, a clockdriven operating shaft, a dial plate revolved by the said shaft, two spring actuated levers pivoted concentric with each other and operatively connected together, a detent engaging with one of the levers and normally holding the switch open when the other lever is moved pivotally in one direction, a tappet which revolves with the dial plate and retracts the detent at a predetermined time to effect the closing of the switch, and means for re-opening the switch at a predetermined time actuated from the saiddial plate and operatively connected with the other pivoted lever.

6. In an electric time switch, a clockdriven operatin shaft, a dial plate revolved by the said sha two spring-actuated levers pivoted side by side and operatively connected together, a detent engaging with one of the levers and normally holding the switch open, a tappet which revolves with the dial plate and retracts the detent at a predetermined time to effect the closing of the switch, a curved toothed rack carried by the other pivoted lever, and a series of teeth which revolve with the dial plate and gear into and operate the said segment and which release it at a predetermined time and thereby permit it to effect the re-opening of the switch.

7 In an electric time switch, a clockdriven operating shaft, a dial plate revolved by the said shaft, two levers pivoted side by side and operatively connected for movement in one direction, a spring comprising two coils of unequal strength and a loop between the coils which engages with both levers, the said coils being adapted to actuate the said levers respectively, a detent normally holding one of the levers stationary, a tappet which revolves with the dial plate and retracts the detent at a predetermined time and thereby permits the weaker coil to operate one lever and close the switch, and means for moving the other lever pivotally in one direction, said means being operated by the dial plate and adapted to release the lever at a predetermined time to permit the stronger coil to move it in the reverse direction and thereby re-open the switch.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature.

LAWRENCE P. KLEUSER. 

